Mailchimp has the best email templates, but there are many providers out there offering a wide range of unique, engaging options that will get your customers' attention. It all depends on what you're looking for.
We've put 80+ hours of research into finding the best tried and tested email templates from across the email marketing industry, and have identified your ten best options below. Note that there is no single ‘best email marketing template', as the best result for your email marketing will very much depend on your goals and audience.
Email marketing is one of the most effective means of attracting and retaining customers, and a good template is your gateway to realizing that potential. Whether your design skills are dramatically lacking or you're just looking to save a little time, templates are designed to make the email marketing process as simple as possible.
In this article, you'll learn about the templates offered by the top email marketing providers, as well as the benefits of using them, the value of choosing an email marketing provider over a one-off downloaded template, and how you can get started today.
Free Templates vs Email Marketing Software
You may have arrived on this article in the hope of finding free email templates to download and export directly into your own campaign. However, we're here to inform you that it's infinitely easier, more effective, and generally a better idea to opt for email marketing software.
For one, email marketing software is designed to make your next campaign shine. Depending on your provider, you can often get helpful analytics and simple contact information, all in addition to a massive catalog of professional templates for your email.
While you might assume that this kind of innovative software will cost you an arm and a leg, the reality is that many email marketing platforms offer their services for free, including access to the wide range of templates.
Simply put, do yourself a favor and try out one of these email marketing software providers before trying to tackle the mammoth task of email marketing on your own.
10 Best Email Marketing Templates
Now, if you're looking for a wide range of unique, compelling templates, an email provider is the first place to start. We've assembled some of the best below, so you can begin your email marketing journey will all the right information.
The ten best email marketing templates come from:
- Mailchimp – best for ecommerce
- Zoho Campaigns – best overall value for money
- Constant Contact – best for small businesses
- Campaign Monitor – best for transactional emails
- MailerLite – best for analytical features
- ActiveCampaign – best for automation
- Cakemail – best for ease of use
- SendGrid – best for reliability
- HubSpot – best for large businesses
- EmailOctopus – best for simplicity
Mailchimp
Whether it's for templates or any email marketing feature, Mailchimp is the go-to option across the board. This incredibly popular, easy to use platform puts a lot of power in your hands at a great price, allowing three users on the cheapest plan.
Plus, you'll gain access to more than 100 templates, and each one is stylishly designed to attract and retain customers for your business.
Mailchimp Pricing
Mailchimp offers four different pricing plans: Free, Essentials, Standard, and Premium.
With the Free plan, you only get access to a small selection of basic templates, but they will be more than enough to get you started. They do come with a Mailchimp footer at the bottom though, so make sure you don't mind the branding hit from the get-go.
All paid plans, however, come with access to Mailchimp's more than 100 pre-built templates, removing the Mailchimp footer and allowing you to fully brand your emails. Plus, if you opt for the Standard or Premium plans, you'll gain access to custom-coded templates, which allow you to further tailor your emails to your customers.
Other Mailchimp Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
- Mailchimp branded footer can't be removed in free plan
Zoho Campaigns
If you're looking for great value when it comes to email marketing software, Zoho Campaigns is it. The unique pricing model allows you to pay either based on the number of emails you send or the number of subscribers you have, so you don't pay for anything you don't need. You'll also get access to the more than 200 email templates offered, as well as seamless integrations with the rest of the Zoho family of apps.
Zoho Campaigns Pricing
Zoho Campaigns offers four different pricing plans – Free, Email-Based, Subscriber-Based, and Email Credits – based on what you need each plan for.
The Free plan is surprisingly robust, offering access to all 200 email templates and allowing you to send up to 12,000 emails per month. You won't be able to add email attachments though, so take note before opting to forego a paid plan.
The Email-Based plan has you pay based on how many emails you want to send per month, raising the price by $2 per month per 500 emails sent. Similarly, the Subscriber-Based plan charges based on the maximum number of subscribers you expect to have, raising the price by $4 per month per 500 subscribers.
Finally, the Email Credits plan is more of a pay-as-you-go plan, so you can send as many email and sign up as many subscribers as you wish – however, you'll be paying for each one as you go, which can get a bit more expensive.
Other Zoho Campaigns Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
- Zoho Campaigns footer in free plan
Constant Contact
Constant Contact is more than just email marketing. It offers a wide range of integrations – most notably social media – that allow you to make a fully comprehensive campaign aimed at all your potential customers. Plus, being held back by email limits is not a great way to start off your marketing campaign, and Constant Contact gets that – which is why they offer unlimited emails across all plans. And with more than 100 templates, you'll be set up for success right away.
Constant Contact Pricing
Constant Contact offers two pricing plans: Email and Email Plus.
The cost of both of these pricing plans is based on the number of contacts you hope to send emails to, billed monthly. Both give you access to the 200+ email templates in Constant Contact's library, so there's no worries there.
The Email plan allows up to three users across the platform, and offers a wide range of basic features to get you started on your next campaign. The Email Plus plan allows up to ten users across the platform, and adds some advanced features like ecommerce and automation.
Constant Contact does not offer a free plan, but you can take advantage of the 60-day free trial before making a decision to buy.
Other Constant Contact Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
- Constant Contact footer can be removed by request
Campaign Monitor
If you're looking for a straight-up email marketing software that doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, Campaign Monitor is it. This cost effective solution doesn't offer social media integrations or landing page builders, but you can easily send emails, view analytics, and automate your marketing efforts from a single platform, all on top of the 75 email templates provided.
Campaign Monitor Pricing
Campaign Monitor offers three different pricing plans – Basic, Unlimited, and Premier – and each plan has access to all 75 email templates, completely free.
The Basic plan is a bit limited, offering only 2,500 emails, but still offers the same robust analytics tools as the higher tier plans. The Unlimited plan, as you can imagine, offers unlimited emails, as well as priority customer support via email. Finally, the Premier plan adds the advanced features you might need, like send time optimization and advanced link tracking.
Unfortunately, Campaign Monitor does not offer a free plan, but the free trial is unlimited. This allows you to access templates and create emails, but obviously doesn't let you send them.
Other Campaign Monitor Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
MailerLite
You can't get better at email marketing without the right analytics, and MailerLite provides that in spades. Between multi-variable A/B testing and the unlimited email count on its cheapest plan, MailerLite is a great email marketing option, although it doesn't offer anything outside that. And you've got more than 100 templates to work with, so you've got that going for you as well.
MailerLite Pricing
MailerLite pricing is exclusively based on how many subscribers you have, and all price points in its Premium plans offer unlimited emails, access to all 100+ templates, and the ability to create your own email templates. Plus, you gain access to advanced features like click maps and A/B testing, which can make a big difference.
MailerLite does offer a free plan, but it is a bit limited, allowing for only 1,200 emails per month – each of which will prominently display the MailerLite logo. Additionally, you'll only get access to 25+ email templates, so you might want to opt for the paid plan if you're trying to attract more customers.
Other MailerLite Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
- MailerLite logo on all free plan emails
ActiveCampaign
The whole point of adding new software to your business's workflow is to save time through automation, and that's what ActiveCampaign does best. With more than 500 automated workflow options and CRM functionality built in, you'll be able to streamline your marketing efforts with ease. It does offer only 25+ email templates, but that should be more than enough to get going.
ActiveCampaign Pricing
ActiveCampaign offers four different pricing plans: Lite, Plus, Professional, and Enterprise. All pricing plans shift depending on how many contacts you have, increasing substantially in the higher tiers.
The Lite plan is the most basic option, offering no CRM features, limited reporting, and ActiveCampaign branding on all emails. Basically, it's a free plan with a price tag.
The Plus, Professional, and Enterprise plans each add CRM functionality, along with advanced features like landing pages, A/B testing, custom reporting, and all the other necessary functionality for a robust all-in-one email marketing platform.
ActiveCampaign does not offer a free plan, although you can use the software via the 14-day free trial before opting for a paid plan.
Other ActiveCampaign Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
- ActiveCampaign logo on Lite plan emails
Cakemail
No, it isn't a mailing service for baked goods, but Cakemail offers some of the easiest to use email marketing software on the market. In fact, many users have stated that their children can easily navigate the platform, which bodes well for beginners entering the email marketing game. Even with only 56 email templates, you'll still be able to figure out what you're doing.
Cakemail Pricing
Cakemail pricing is entirely customized to the business in question, so you'll have to contact the company and sign up for an account before you can get the inside scoop. Still, many users insist that Cakemail is a decidedly affordable option, so it's definitely worth looking into.
Other Cakemail Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
SendGrid
Reliability is the name of the game in email marketing, and SendGrid guarantees you'll enjoy solid deliverability numbers with its stylish, albeit comparatively limited templates. With only 41 email templates, you'll have to pick and choose, but you can be sure they'll look good and offer great transactional features along the way.
SendGrid Pricing
SendGrid offers three different pricing plans: Essentials, Pro, and Premier. All pricing plans are based on how many emails you plan to send per month, and you get access to all 41 email templates for free.
The Essentials plan offers a wide range of core features, but not much in the way of advanced features, like dedicated IP addresses or domain authentication for deliverability improvement. The Pro plan adds these features at an admittedly much higher price. The Premier plan is the enterprise-level solution, and you'll have to contact SendGrid for specific pricing options.
SendGrid does offer a free plan, allowing you access to all templates and the ability to send up to 100 emails per day.
Other SendGrid Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
HubSpot
HubSpot is a mammoth when it comes to marketing, and your decision to go with them should reflect that commitment, as it's definitely not just for email. You'll be getting a huge, all-in-one platform designed to help you attract customers in more ways than you can count. Unfortunately, its email templates leave a lot to be desired, and there are only about a dozen of them. Still, if you're looking for a hub for all your marketing needs – and have the money to pay for one – HubSpot is your best option.
Check out our HubSpot review for more information
HubSpot Pricing
HubSpot offers just one option for pricing when it comes to marketing: the Marketing Hub.
The Marketing Hub will cost you $800 per month. In addition to the many email marketing features on offer, like automation and A/B testing, you'll get access to video hosting, blog and content creation, and robust analytics to truly take your customer acquisition and retention efforts to the next level.
HubSpot does offer a free marketing tools plan, with forms, landing pages, social media integration, and basic analytics so you can get started. But again, the template situation is pretty dire when it comes to HubSpot, so make sure you know what you're getting into before you decide on this one.
Other HubSpot Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
EmailOctopus
If you couldn't guess from the cute name and the cuter logo, EmailOctopus is all about ease of use when it comes to its platform. Simple drag-and-drop functionality, combined with its mere three email templates, means that you won't have to make too many decisions before sending out your campaign. Still, it's pretty bare bones compared to some of the competition, so make sure you don't need to scale down the line.
EmailOctopus Pricing
Staying consistent with its ease of use, EmailOctopus only offers one pricing plan: Pro.
The price of the Pro plan shifts depending on how many emails and how many subscribers you hope to have, and offers a basic set of core features like analytics, templates, and automation that saves you time.
EmailOctopus also offers a free plan, which allows you to send 10,000 emails a month and host 2,500 subscribers total. Both plans allow you access to all three of EmailOctopus' templates.
Other EmailOctopus Features
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Automation
- EmailOctopus watermark on free plan emails
Do Email Marketing Templates work?
With an average return on investment of $42 per dollar spent, it's safe to say that email marketing is an undeniably important avenue, and using email templates is a big part of that equation. These templates provide a comprehensively organized option right out of the gate, so you can focus on the content rather than the design.
Another reason to opt for email templates is that the usage of images is one of the most important aspects of a well-received email. In fact, emails that contain visual content have 650% more engagement than all-text emails, which alone is enough of a reason to take advantage of email marketing templates.
Finally, using an email template ensures that you have the ability to effectively test your strategy down the road. You can easily switch out calls-to-action, subject lines, and general content without having to think too hard or do too much work.
Next Steps — Get the best email marketing templates
You've taken on a lot of information about email templates by now, and making the right decision should be easier than ever. As we've noted already, we believe that Mailchimp definitely offers the best email marketing templates on the market today, but there are plenty of other options if it isn't an ideal fit for your business needs.
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